Full Circle Book II: Rewind
by Obsidian Buterfly
Summary: Pasts unwind as the journey continues. This game of chess is far more complex then any of the travelers could imagine. like the calm before the storm, the peace will never last but can they make the most of what they have before the innocence is lost to them forever? Part II in the Full Circle Saga.
1. Prologue

**_A/N: So I've had some trouble getting the plot for this book straightened out and it's still a work in progress but I have some idea of where we're gonna head out now so that's good. I've managed to fight off the block for now so hopefully updates won't be too far apart. For all the old readers who've followed me here from Full Circle Book I, enjoy Book II. To all the new readers, you might wanna go back and read Book I first or this one won't make much sense. That's it for now. _**

**_Enjoy~_**

**_Disclaimer: I only own my original characters and the plotline. Everything else used here belongs to their respective owners._**

**_Prologue:_**

Roy Mustang was not a superstitious man. In his mind, anything that could not be explained through science- be it ordinary or alchemic- simply could not exist. And yet, as he hurried through the quickly-darkening streets of Central, he couldn't help but shudder. Not quite in fear, no. He wasn't afraid, only confused. He was sure what he had just experienced was real…but at the same time, logic told him it wasn't possible. And though he might be able to come up with some way to explain it away as some highly advanced form of transmutation, he knew deep down that that wasn't quite it either.

He nodded at a couple of soldiers patrolling the streets as he hurriedly made his way to his apartment, trying not to dwell on the _deal_ he had made with that woman. She had red eyes, like an Ishvalan, yet everything about her had screamed something else entirely. What it was he wasn't quite sure he wanted to acknowledge yet. Maybe he could just dismiss it all as a hallucination and be done with it?

_"You want power in your country." The red-eyed woman smirked at him as she leaned back on her settee, uncaring of the amount of skin she exposed along the way, 'The highest rank attainable, do you not?'_

_"That is not common knowledge." He had to struggle not to outwardly wince at that, though his voice still came out cold and collected. Inside, his heart was racing. How could a stranger know of that? His men would never betray him like that and-_

_"I know." Her smirk widened._

_"Seeing as you are telling me this, I'm sure there is something you want from me."_

_"On the contrary, Flame Alchemist," she replied, a lazy drawl seeping into her tone as though she could not be bothered to feel threatened by the anger radiating off of him at that moment, "it is _you_ who wants something from _me._ The question that remains is," here she eyed him appraisingly, looking far older and wiser then her physical age, "are you willing to pay the price?"_

Shaking himself out of his disturbing thoughts, Roy decided to dismiss the incident from his mind altogether as he suddenly found himself standing in front of the door to his apartment. He wasn't even aware of his arrival, but from the way the doorknob was warm under his fingers, he had to have been standing there for quite some time. Blinking at the sound of another door opening and closing somewhere nearby, the state alchemist pulled the key from his pocket and inserted it in the lock. Shaking his head once again, he tried not to think of what he had somehow ended up doing.

He was not a superstitious man, so he never did wish on a star. Even as he grew up, he never wished for anything when he blew the candles out on his cake. So then why… had he made that strange wish to that strange not-Ishvalan shop owner? After all… there were no such things as wish-granting witches, were there?

-0-

The world was drowning, suffocating, smothering crimson. So much crimson, so much of it. It washed over her skin, drenching her in its decaying, acrid stench. Dribbling from her body, drizzling down her hair, trickling in rivulets from her face.

But wait… this wasn't her dream.

No.

She should not even _be_ here.

So much blood. So much of it. (_Someone else's?)_

She did not know. All she knew was that the world was crimson, drowning in that color as chilling laughter echoed around her. It rang with darkness and insanity and pain and fear and hatred and anger and so much more. So much anger. And pain. _Insanity_.

It shook her to the core, and yet, she did not know where it came from. (_Around her?_)

No.

It wasn't just around her. It was everywhere. In every pore of her existence. It was in the air and the ground and the crimson-drenched rocks. It was in the blood that bathed that dead

_deadnotlivingnotbreathingdeaddeaddeadDEAD!_

world just as it was inside her. Consuming her. Destroying her. Drowning, suffocating, _smothering!_ But wait… this wasn't her dream. (_Whose, then?)_

This pain and anger and hatred and fear and oh, God! What was all of this? How could it even exist? Such darkness. Who was this twisted, broken person whose dream she now invaded? No. Not a dream. (_Reality, then?)_ But this reality…How could it have come to pass?

Slowly she drifted through the sea of crimson, _her_ heart clenching with dread as manic glee encompassed this person she was _(inside?) _now. (_Who was it? She knew this person, didn't she?)_ The blood parted for her, caressing her lovingly like a mother (_she grew up in it, bathed in it every moment of her gloriously bloody existence. No…that wasn't right.)_

It sloshed around her bare feet, even as the rivulets streamed down to join the sea of crimson._(She grew up with it but there was a time before this all. A life before this and…maybe for a short while after this too.)_ She knew what awaited her at the end of her short journey and _her_ heart clenched tighter with dread and fear _(of what?)_ and the manic laughter rose in a crescendo as her destination neared._(the pain had come and consumed her whole and taken away the person she had once been and torn and broken and twisted her into this…this creature that she now was. A creature of the crimson sea that parted only for her)_She stopped nearly a foot away, the laughter nearly deafening in her ears. It was everywhere, drowning and maddening as a pale, blood-drenched hand reached out to touch the sparkling silver surface of the mirror, turning to angle it to her face. The dreamer awoke with a gasp at the image reflected back, for she knew who the child of blood was and her heart ached and bled and screamed for she knew there was nothing she could do to save the person she had dreamt herself to be, because she had made a deal with the witch.

And even as she struggled with all her might to hold on to the memory of just this one dream,_(because she knew she could stop it from happening if only she could remember. She could change it somehow because it had not yet happened and oh please! Let her remember it!)_the blood and the pain and the darkness and the laughter all began to trickle from her grasp like sand slipping through her clenched fingers (_and please! Just this once don't make her forget.)_

She wanted to beg, oh how she wanted to beg, but it was not to be… and so… she forgot.

**_A/N: As you can probably already guess, there will be a crossover with FMA ;) ;) and possibly one or two other fandoms. I'd love to hear your thoughts so please don't forget to review and put this story on your alerts._**


	2. Rekourt: Female Issues and Breakfast

**_A/N: And the adventure continues. Hopefully the last bit in the prologue will make more sense after you've read this chapter. If not, feel free to ask questions. ;) Enjoy the update._**

The brass pipes shook and rattled as highly-pressurized steam travelled through them, powering the mechanisms that pulled up the tiny box-like room, an 'ascension chamber', as it had been called, the floor shuddering as brakes were applied once the destination was reached. The man who operated the chamber pulled on a lever to completely halt its motion before pulling open the protective grate for Syaoran to pass through, nodding a silent goodbye as the brunette stepped out with his bag of groceries clutched tightly in his arms. Smiling his thanks, the boy proceeded down the hall to the very last door, pulling the leather chord to ring the bell. From the other side of the door, he could hear Mokona's cheery response, the door unlocking only moments later.

"Syaoran! Did you get everything?" The white creature asked even as it hopped to the brunette's shoulder, hitching a ride to the kitchen.

"I think so." He replied, sliding the grocery bag onto the counter, carefully pulling out several glass bottles and jars and placing them down. "Fai-san, they did not have any raki fruit at the shop, but the shop girl told me to buy some raspberries instead. Will these do?" he asked pulling out a box of neatly packaged raspberries.

"Why do they never have raki fruit?" the magician grumbled, sticking out his bottom lip to show his displeasure as he plucked the box of raspberries from Syaoran's hand. "I suppose I will have to make do with these. Although, really, one of these days I have got to find you guys some raki fruit. You won't ask for any other fruit ever again."

The brunette smiled and nodded, turning his attention back to the grocery bag. Despite its slim size, the little bag was capable of items several times it capacity, quite a bit like Mokona. It was an interesting application of magic. Even more interesting, though, was the way the people of that world had blended magic with science, though Fai had claimed magic was just a very advanced form of the former. Despite that, however, Rekourt was a country that Syaoran could happily spend years exploring, were it not for the pressing matter of searching for Sakura's feathers. For an archeologist and multi-cultural enthusiast, this country was heaven on earth. Or, well…heaven in a different dimension.

Rekourt was home to one of the largest libraries known in any country, with thousands upon thousands of books on any subject one could think of. For a country where magic was a part of more than half its population, the word "strange" lacked any definition in this world, which was why, even after nearly a week of searching, the group had yet to find even the slightest mention of a pearl-white feather. Rekourt's written language was something Syaoran had come across during his travels to one of the nomadic desert tribes with his father, but surprisingly enough, he wasn't the only one that could read the language. Rekourt's written and spoken language was the same as Maddy and Xahra's mother tongue, a fact which should have greatly helped them speed up the search for Sakura's feather but despite the added help, it was slow going. The brunette was pulled out of his musings when a loud alarm blared in a room opposite to the dining room-cum-living room which was in turn attached to the kitchen and the rest of their small apartment.

The alarm suddenly stopped, replaced by angry cursing and some crashes and bangs. Fai fake-whistled from his place at the stove as he looked over his shoulder to share a look with Syaoran. "Sounds like Maddy-chan is finally awake."

However, when the door to the room that Madiha shared with Xahra and Sakura opened, it happened to be the latter two who stepped into the living space.

"Good morning Fai, Syaoran," Xahra greeted them extra cheerfully.

"Ah, Xahra-chan, Sakura-chan," Fai chirped back, "did you two sleep okay?"

"Umm… yes. Thank you, Fai-san," Sakura mumbled, looking over her shoulder towards the door with a look that Syaoran had come to interpret as doubt.

Xahra chuckled, muttering something about Sakura being nervous about a PMS-ing Madiha, making Syaoran blush to the roots of his hair while Fai's eyes sparkled like he had been handed the perfect present. Hoping to distract the blond from concocting any schemes that might earn him Maddy's ire, Syaoran wracked his brains for a subject to bring up.

"Princess, would you like some apples?" Syaoran blurted out, suddenly remembering how much the girl loved that particular fruit even as he reached into the grocery bag, his entire arm disappearing inside it as he searched around for one.

"Syaoran-kun," Sakura smiled that sweet smile of hers, the tiniest of pangs attacking the brunette's heart as he took note of how it still wasn't one of her special smiles, but he pushed it away before the pain could show on his face, his fingers finally clutching the round fruit. Pulling it out with a triumphant grin, he happily offered it to the princess.

"Thank you." She said shyly, taking the fruit from his hand, her soft fingers brushing against his skin for the briefest of moments, reminding him of all the times she had held on to his hands like it was nothing at all. Sakura seemed to be staring down at their hands as well, a thoughtful look on her face as she reached out to touch his fingers once more. A thrum of excitement pulsed through his body at the thought that maybe…maybe she was remembering it too. He knew it shouldn't be possible but even so, it was hard to keep his emotions in check as his gaze darted to her face, finding her perplexed green eyes staring back at him. Could this be it? Could Yuuko's price have a loophole? Could it be that-

"Awww," Xahra's loud coo made them both jump apart as though they had been electrocuted, "young love. You two are _so_ adorable!" Blood rushed to his face as Sakura's cheeks colored opposite to him, the black haired girl grinning mischievously at them both. "Oh, if only I had a camera with me."

"X-Xahra-san," Sakura stuttered as Syaoran hurriedly busied himself with emptying the grocery bag. That was when the door to the room the girls shared burst outwards and Madiha stomped towards the dining room, a perpetual frown furrowing her brow as she wordlessly pulled out a seat and sat down. Her hair was pulled back in a braid today, just a few bangs pulled loose of the hairdo to fall over her eyes. She looked a little pale, giving off the air of someone who had not slept properly, her eyes swollen just the tiniest bit behind the frames of her spectacles, making them appear puffy and tired. He wondered if she had been having nightmares. He could recall Xahra mentioning something about the brunette having those from time to time.

"Hand me an apple too, would you, Sleeping Beauty?" the brunette grunted, sounding surprisingly a lot like a female version of Kurogane as she slumped over the hardwood tabletop. Her braid swept across the right side of her face, spilling against the grainy texture of the wood as she rested her forehead on it. "I'd kill for a steaming cup of tea and some Panadol right now." She groaned as Sakura handed her a ripe apple, its skin half-rosy like Sakura's cheeks after one of her attempts at learning gymnastics and half-golden like those little decorative coins he'd seen dangling from some of Sakura's more formal dresses.

"Is Maddy-san going to be okay?" Sakura asked worriedly, eyeing the arm the brunette had wrapped around her abdomen. "What is wrong with her?" Despite not having been around many women while growing up, Syaoran still had interacted with them in all the different cultures he'd visited during his travels with his father, and while some were quite open about these matters and had freely imparted their knowledge to the young brunette, Syaoran still didn't feel comfortable enough around a girl going through her 'female issues' to be of any help like the men in those cultures had been. The groceries on the counter provided the boy with the perfect excuse to bail as he hurriedly mumbled something about putting them away and scampered off to the kitchen while Xahra launched into an explanation about biology and 'female issues'. Well, she used a different term for it, but that's what the brunette had decided to dub it as in his head very, very early on in his life and he decided to stick with it now.

"Does Syaoran-kun have any idea what panamol might be?" Fai asked as he placed a kettle on the stove, easily flipping some sort of flat bread in the pan on the other side of the stove, 'pancakes', the blond had called them. Adjusting the heat on both the stove tops as Syaoran moved next to him to reach the cabinets, he turned his attention to the mixing bowl only about a quarter full of creamy batter. "Maddy-chan doesn't sound so good."

"I'm afraid not." The brunette replied with a shake of his head, neatly stacking the boxes inside the cabinet.

"Hmm…" he heard the magician hum in response as he reached over Syaoran's shoulder and opened the second cabinet. Withdrawing a bag of tea-leaves, he slid it shut, using his free hand to slip the now-cooked pancake onto a plate holding an already-considerable stack. Syaoran watched him work in fascination as the magician carried out several tasks at the same time without botching up a single one, moving comfortably around the kitchen as though it was something he did every day. The blond said nothing else, the scent of batter rising from the frying pan as it cooked before Fai easily flipped it over, humming a nearly inaudible tune to himself. "Could you please set the table, Syaoran-kun? I think Xahra-chan is finished with her lecture by now." He could picture the smirk on the blonde's face at that last part, letting Syaoran know that Fai knew the reason why he had taken refuge in the kitchen.

Fighting back an embarrassed blush, the brunette retrieved the plates and glasses before filling a metal jug with water from the tap and hurrying back into the living room. True to Fai's prediction, Xahra was now regaling Sakura with stories of what the best friends usually got up to in their home world, interjected with embarrassed groans from Madiha every now and then. Sakura was giggling and pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the sounds, probably for Madiha's benefit, though Syaoran could somehow tell the brunette was merely complaining for the sake of complaining and didn't really mind Sakura laughing at her expense. He felt a small rush of gratitude towards the pair of friends. They'd brought so many smiles to Sakura's face in the short five weeks they'd been travelling together, bringing forth the former Sakura every time. Of course, she still never smiled that special smile of hers, but it was still enough for him that the old Sakura shone through this girl who barely had enough memories to function properly.

The princess darted forward to help him with the table and Xahra too stepped around the table once she noticed his entrance. Maddy waved from her spot at the table, munching her way through the very last bits of the apple. Syaoran's gaze was drawn towards the entrance to the apartment and as though summoned by his thoughts, the ninja walked through, sweat dripping from his brow as he leant a makeshift staff against the wall and headed off into the bathroom with a simple grunt in their direction. Mokona bounced up to the table and made itself at home on Madiha's head. The girl made a half-hearted swipe at it before giving up and going back to her slumped position on the table. Kurogane emerged dressed in fresh clothes with hair dripping wet from a quick shower only a short while later just as Fai entered from the kitchen, balancing a tray loaded with pancakes and a bottle of syrup, a ball of butter and a big mug of tea, setting down the last wordlessly next to Madiha before moving on to set the breakfast down.

Sakura's stomach grumbled loudly, making the princess blush and look down. Xahra laughed good-naturedly at the girl before passing her the pancakes.

-0-

Xahra looked around with an excited grin, looking quite a lot like a kid in a candy store, though she never thought she'd have that look on her face in a library of all places. She might have been good at her studies in school, but she'd never been a bookworm. The Eastern Rekourt Library, or 'ERL' as some of the students who had been living on the same floor of the dormitories had called it, had the biggest section on myths and legends of all the cities' libraries. Having no starting point to go on, the group of dimension travelers had had no luck so far. It had been decided that every day their group would split into two smaller groups and one would head out to the libraries and search for legends with a mention of Sakura's feather or something similar while the other group would ask around for information. Magic was common enough in the country that their arrival had not caused any fuss, despite the group having landed in the middle of the orientation ceremony of one of the magic schools. The schools offered courses in non-magical subjects as well, so the group (barring Kurogane and Fai who simply looked far too old) everyone had posed as students, Syaoran and Fai once again handling most of the talking with one of the administrators. Their accommodations had been fairly easy to acquire and although classes were not due to start for two weeks' time, most students had arrived early to explore the vast city.

Not for the first time since they had arrived, Xahra felt a tingle of _something_ crawl down her spine as a witch passed her by. She couldn't help but frown, wondering again about her new ability to sense magic, because after thinking about all the times it had happened, that was the only thing she could come up with that made sense. She felt it all the time whenever she was around Mokona or Sakura, although with Sakura it was more like a broken beat and with Mokona's made her really giddy. Fai was perhaps the only person who she knew had magic yet didn't set off her new sense at all. She looked over at him where he was busy pestering Madiha as the former peered at various leather-bound volumes, looking like she was struggling very hard not to grab one and bash the blond on the head with it. Biting back a smile, she looked overhead where a librarian sputtered by on a steam-powered contraption, shelving books into their places with a wave of her wand. She felt another tingle as a book zoomed past her and settled neatly onto a shelf to her right. This world was so amazing that she could spend years exploring it. Magic and science blended together to work seamlessly. It was so wonderful. She must have had a zoned-out look on her face for Madiha stomped up to her, grabbing her rather angrily by the arm before dragging her over to a table where she had dumped a surprising amount of books, all with their titles written out in the girls' mother tongue.

"You can drool over the library later," she snapped, slamming a thick volume into her hands before snatching one for herself and impatiently opening it up to the index page. "We really need to find something about Sleeping Beauty's feather before I go crazy pouring over all these books. Had I known I'd be studying so much on this trip, I'd have stayed behind and worked on my prep for finals. I'm pretty sure I'd have scored an A with half the amount of effort."

Xahra wisely kept her mouth shut, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from pointing out how they had never really taken this trip by choice in the first place. She was quite sure she did not want to risk having her skull bashed in for contradicting Madiha in her current state. Though the brunette often was prone to mood swings, she had never really been this volatile before. Something, or rather _someone_- blond and blue-eyed- was probably to be blamed for that, but she kept that information to herself as well. Best do as Madiha had so very nicely asked.

"Hyuu…some of these legends are quite disturbing, wouldn't you agree, Miss Xahra?" Fai said in his strangely-accented English some time later. Mokona had been sent along with Syaoran, Kurogane and Sakura, seeing as how the girls both spoke the local language and Fai could communicate with them in English, though the blond had been quick to point out it had a different name in his home world and was not his mother tongue either. Apparently he had only learnt it for the purpose of entertaining diplomats at the Royal Court.

"Well," she replied, looking up from the book she had been bent over for nearly the past three hours, "mine looks a lot like a bunch of fairy tales strung together. Like this one here," she pointed to a passage that resembled something out of the of the Grimm fairytales collection, "this one is just like the story of Red Riding Hood, only the girl in this one is a werewolf herself and the hood she wears is a magical item spelled by a sorcerer to keep her from turning every full moon. But yes, it's quite disturbing. She turns into a wolf while trying to hide from her grandmother and ends up eating the man she loved." Flipping to the end of the book she made a face, "says here that the legends are based on true stories. Does this mean they're trying to prove that werewolves are real?"

"Mine drones on and on about vampires." Madiha snapped her book shut, slamming her forehead into the closed cover with a groan. "This is hopeless. It will take us years to read everything in here before we can even move on to the next library, let alone find her feather."

Xahra's reply was interrupted by a loud grumbling sound from her belly and she had to fight down a blush as both Fai and Madiha turned to look at her.

"Maybe we should look for something to eat and then we can ask one of the librarians to help us look for relevant information?" Fai suggested lightly as he pushed the book away from him and stood up.

"We did ask for help," Madiha groaned, clambering to her feet nonetheless , "the old lady at the front desk with a really large head. She's the one who pointed us to this section on the very first day, remember?"

"Well, maybe we should ask one of the girls who's shelving the books all the time," Xahra piped up, gladly depositing her book on the table and grabbing her tiny purse. Smoothing down the front of her rather poufy skirt which looked a lot like the dress she had worn in Jade, she smiled at one of the librarians eyeing them with an annoyed frown. "We'll be back after lunch, so you don't have to put the books away yet." She said to the witch, frowning when the latter stomped down the aisle before she climbed onto her steam-powered contraption and sputtered away on it. "Why, that rude little-" Xahra turned away with a huff and made her way out of the maze of towering bookshelves behind Madiha and Fai, through the ornate wooden double doors and onto the sunlit cobblestone street.

**_A/N: So… I've decided that the worlds won't be appearing in the same order as they did in the manga. On top of that, some of the basic things about them would be changed as well to suit the plot, including the time the group spends there. Here's a little explanation for some of the changes you've seen made to Rekourt so far._**

**_Instead of being an all-magical world, it's a combination of magic and steampunk science. The reason for that might not become clear until a few worlds later but that's just the way it is. They will definitely be spending a few weeks here and exploring not just the nice libraries and the safe side of magic and technology but probably and possibly some of the nasty sides as well. *hint hint wink wink* Hmm… I can't really think of anything else at the moment but if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to either explain them or put something into the story for you guys :)_**

**_Cookies for anyone who catches my little nod to 'Once Upon a Time' ;) ;) _**


	3. Rekourt: Explosions and Carnival

**_A/N: I know it was a long wait for the update, but! You guys get a longer chapter too. ;) ;) _**

**_Enjoy~_**

Fai walked silently beside the girls through the crowded streets of Rekourt. They had all decided to meet up with the rest of their group in place called Food Gully. The place consisted of an entire street lined with cafés and restaurants running alongside the cobblestone walkway. Wrought iron chairs and tables sat out for customers, most of them occupied by couples or groups of students. Thanks to all the foreign students in the crowd, their group didn't stand out.

Xahra kept up a steady stream of chatter, tugging at Maddy's hand like a five-year-old as they looked around for the café where they'd agreed to meet. Madiha's mood seemed to have improved in the time it had taken them to reach their destination. Fresh air was doing her some good, though Fai suspected it was partly due to him not bothering her.

They stopped outside _Café Le'balt_, a tiny place with a small sitting area out front. Fai knew from their frequent visits there that the café actually had a much larger lounge inside. Looking around and then peering through the glass window, he realized that the others had not arrived yet.

"We should sit outside today," he suggested before pulling up the nearest available chair for Madiha. He grinned, making a show of being a gentleman as he gave her a tiny bow. "It's warm and sunny. Not a cloud in sight. Maddy-chan can be all comfortable while we wait for Kuro-tan and the others."

His grin widened when Madiha huffed and pointedly dragged another chair for herself to sit on.

"Better luck next time." Xahra gave him a light pat on the shoulder before sitting down in the chair he had pulled out for Maddy.

Laughing along, he walked to the other side of the table and seated himself across from the Madiha, who refused to glance at him. Shrugging good-naturedly towards him, Xahra resumed her chat with Madiha, leaving Fai to his own thoughts.

Leaning back in his chair, he settled in to wait for the others to arrive. Glancing around briefly, he turned his attention back to the girls. As he listened to Xahra chatter on about Rekourt's fashion, his mind began to wander, his thoughts returning to the events from that morning.

He struggled to keep a frown off his face as he remembered the reason for what he had done at breakfast. He shouldn't care if someone in their group was suffering just a little. As long as it wasn't something life-threatening, a little bit of pain would not harm anyone. And yet, he'd gone out of his way to make that tea. He was beginning to get too close to this group. He knew he had to keep some distance from them all. Getting attached to any one of them would not bode well for him. He had made that mistake once before.

_And look at where that got me, _he thought bitterly.

There was something he had to do. Something that took precedent over everything else. Even—

"Who went off and kicked _your_ puppy?" Maddy's voice drew him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw her frowning at him. Xahra quieted, glancing at him in concern.

"What makes you think anyone kicked my puppy, Maddy-chan?" he said, grinning to cover what his words could not.

_Stupid. Stupid, _he cursed inwardly. _I'm getting too careless._ First, Kurogane had begun to notice things and now Madiha. He kept smiling even as she stared at him in that unsettling manner.

"I was just wondering what we could order for you today," he said, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he leaned forward. "After all, a girl in your state needs comforting."

Her face colored in a mix of mortification and anger and Fai mentally congratulated himself for distracting her. He caught sight of Kurogane over the girl's shoulders. The ninja was still a few buildings away, but it gave him the perfect excuse to keep Madiha from blowing her fuse.

"Oh look. Kuro-tan is here!" Jumping to his feet, he started to wave his hand. "Yoo-hoo, Kuro-tan, over here! We saved you seats."

"Fai!" Mokona hopped off Syaoran's shoulder and bounded across the tabletops to reach him. He heard Maddy grumble something before turning to greet the newcomers. Kurogane ignored Fai's greeting altogether as he slumped into the empty chair next to the blond. He pretended to pout, whining to Mokona about being ignored as Syaoran dragged over two chairs from a nearby table for himself and Sakura. Mokona murmured reassurances to him as Maddy rolled her eyes at their antics and waved over a serving girl.

"Did you find anything useful?" Xahra asked once everyone was seated. "All we've found out so far is that fairytales are not quite as made up as we were always led to believe."

"No mention of the princess's feather anywhere." Syaoran shook his head, looking apologetically at Sakura.

"Don't worry, Syaoran-kun," Fai said, feeling a little sorry for the boy. "If there's a feather here, we'll find it."

"Uh-huh!" Mokona bounced into the middle of the table. "With detective Mokona helping Syaoran, Syaoran has nothing to worry about."

"There's no way that feather can remain hidden for long with all of us working together," Xahra agreed.

With a few more words of encouragement from Sakura and even a few grumbled assurances from Maddy and Kurogane, the boy looked happier. Leaning back in his chair again, Fai watched the serving girl note down their group's orders before leaving.

He wondered why they were having so much trouble locating a feather. Even with all the magic, they should have come across _some_ mention of Sakura's feather by now. Such an object should have been well documented. And yet they were no closer to recovering that feather than they had been a week ago. Could it be that someone was deliberately keeping them from finding it?

Knowing better then to lower his defenses with the ninja around, Fai picked up a menu. Pretending to be enamored by the intricate patterns printed along the paper's borders, he sneaked a glance at the others. Xahra had moved on from Rekourt's fashion to retelling one of the stories she had come across at the library earlier that day. Even Kurogane seemed interested in the tale of a warrior that had been cursed to relive the same year for the rest of his days, helpless to do anything but watch his loved ones die in an enemy attack over and over again.

Fai dropped his gaze back to the menu, tuning out the fairy-tale in favor of working on the problem with the feather. If someone was withholding information about the feather on purpose, what were their motives? Would it be wise to point this out to the others? His unusual insight would immediately put Kurogane on guard. And it might give Madiha reason to watch him more closely. Maybe it would be better to keep quiet. After all, he was pretending to be a fool. It would be detrimental if he appeared more perceptive than he was aiming for.

Maybe if it took longer than a couple of weeks, he could say something.

Risking another look in their direction, Fai thought about what he knew of his companions so far. Syaoran was… a lot different than he had expected, given his unique origins. He was strong-willed and driven. But his heart was in the right place. Sakura, however, was just how he had imagined her to be, kind and sweet. She was truly a princess, in her own clumsy, forgetful way.

Kurogane wasn't that hard to figure out. The warrior was blunt and to-the-point. Everything about him was there for the world to see. His acute perceptiveness made Fai a little uncomfortable, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it. He was stuck traveling with the group after all.

Mokona was more complex, but at the same time, like Kurogane, it wasn't that difficult to understand. It was an empath, and although Fai was worried about being called out on his conflicting feelings, the dimension hopper had yet to do so. Maybe it understood the importance of keeping secrets.

Xahra was a boisterous girl. She was the type to thrive on positive emotions. She was friendly with everyone she met, and although there was an honesty to her openness, Fai couldn't help but feel as though he was missing something about her. He could sense a flicker of magic inside her at times, though it was obvious from the way she behaved that she had no idea about her abilities. Fai had to struggle to fight off another frown at that. An untrained witch was a dangerous thing to keep in their group. And yet Fai knew he would not do anything about it. He could not suggest they send her off on her own without explaining his reasons for wanting her gone, nor could he offer to teach her.

_I've sworn off of magic after all, _he thought wryly.

And then there was Madiha. When he had seen her at Yuuko's shop, Fai had to struggled not to flee the way he had in Celes. He doubted even Yuuko knew how close he had come to damning the consequences and running away on his own. It wasn't like she was anything special or frightening. Quite the opposite in fact, with somewhat above average looks and a temper problem. She was just like every other girl her age and yet… Every time he looked at her, he was reminded of his broken promise and guilt would threaten to crush his blackened heart.

But he had managed to keep it all hidden so far. He could play the part of the unassuming fool and no one would know any better. Everyone apart from Kurogane, that was, but even he only had his suspicions and without proof, that was all they'd ever be. Fai was too careful to let his true emotions show on his face when the others were around.

_It's the eyes,_ his mind supplied suddenly, and he couldn't help but sneak another glance at the girl, seeking confirmation of his thoughts. _They're the same._

Even if he had never showed it, he had hated her for that back in Hanshin, when he had not known her. She was a reminder of what he was running from. Her company had been near impossible to bear at that time. But then he had been stuck with her for nearly a week in Citadel and he'd had to learn to look past that resemblance. He'd learned to focus on other things instead. It started out as a way of keeping himself from blowing his cover; after all, he could not risk drawing attention to himself. And it was more bearable to look at her when he didn't immediately flash back to the horrible sight that was forever burnt into his memory.

So to make the journey a little more bearable for himself, Fai had started noticing other things about her. It was easier to maintain the mask of cheerful idiot he pretended to be that way. Tracing the patterned edges of the menu with his finger, Fai looked up when Madiha let out a cheer. Sakura had spilled a glass of water on the table and Madiha seemed oddly pleased by the development.

"Yes!" She clapped. "I'm not the clumsiest person in this group anymore."

Sakura's cheeks turned pink from embarrassment, muttering a hasty apology as she lowered her head. Fai felt a little bad for the princess but before he could say anything Madiha was already speaking again.

"You don't have to embarrassed, Sleeping Beauty. I always say that accidents can happen with anyone. Some people are just more prone to being clumsy is all. Don't worry though; you've got a kindred spirit in me."

Madiha winked at the girl, handing her a fresh glass of water before launching into a story from her childhood involving Madiha, her family's kitchen and a misguided attempt at making breakfast for her parent's on their anniversary. She laughed, throwing her head back at one point as she explained the state of the kitchen when her parents woke up and Fai noticed that he was staring.

Quickly dropping his gaze back to the menu, he traced the pattern along the edges once more, trying to recall when things had begun to change. Noticing things about her was no longer just a way to keep himself from dwelling on his failure. Somewhere along the way, he had begun doing it simply because he could. And it was because he paid attention to her that he was one of the first people to notice the dark circles under her eyes that began to form after Citadel. He noticed the change in her eating habits that made her go from full-bodied to slender. And he noticed the way she sometimes looked around her as though searching for some hidden assailants, usually on the days when she had a nightmare.

Fai was no healer but he'd read enough medical texts to know these changes were all a result of a sudden change of her environment. It would go away once she adjusted to traveling the way they did. So he tried not to let it bother him too much. If he didn't know any better, Fai would have thought his attention towards her bordered on obsessive, but that was ridiculous. But even though he tried not to pay it much mind, he couldn't help but be irritated by the fact that he was worried. Somewhere along the way, he had begun to _care_ about her.

Just that morning he had expressed a desire to find the _panamol _Maddy had complained about, just so he could alleviate her pain. And then, when he couldn't find any, he'd made her tea instead. He hadn't even been planning on making any for breakfast. But he had.

The only reason he had not run away that day at Yuuko's shop was because he'd had to look after the princess. To ensure Sakura's safety during the journey while she was still vulnerable. He was more than capable of traveling on his own nearly indefinitely if he so wished it. He was only there for the princess. It would make sense for him to be attached to _her._ Syaoran was not of much consequence. Mokona was… Mokona and it was impossible not to like that little creature. The pair of best-friends was a somewhat unexpected surprise, and he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do about them. But he knew he had to keep his distance from the ninja.

_Promise me you'll be happy, _a memory whispered somewhere in the back of his mind, and he had to struggle not to flinch. _That you'll find happiness again._

_Don't worry, _he wordlessly promised the memory, _I will be._

He shook his head to get rid of the memory. Madiha was frowning at him again. Refusing to meet her gaze, he turned his attention to the serving girl instead as she started setting the food down at their table. Her fingers brushed his hand as she placed his plate, and Fai grinned up at her. The serving girl gave him a shy smile of her own, blushing as she hurried away. Fully aware of Maddy's stare, he watched the waitress go, throwing in a wink for good measure when the girl glanced back at him near the doorway.

Madiha gave an exasperated huff and started digging in to her food. Sighing in relief at having avoided her scrutiny, Fai resolved to not let his guard down again until he was back in the safety of his room. Lunch was rather delicious even if it was a little different from what Fai was used to. But it was something similar to what the girls usually had back in their own world. And so, they had commandeered the menu and taken over the ordering of their desserts.

Fai had to admit the white creamy mush that waitress brought out was pretty good but it was still a funny sight to see Madiha go completely nuts over it. They ended up ordering seconds. And then the brunette ordered a third helping for herself. Fai refused to admit that he was relieved at seeing her eat properly after so many days.

"You know, Xahra," Maddy polished off her third bowl with a grin, "as delicious as that Kheer was, I am definitely going to hate myself for stuffing my face when I'm all bloated like a balloon."

"I kind of doubt you'd get that fat from just three bowls, Maddy."

"You think so? Because I kind of feel like ordering a fourth. And then it'll go right to my butt and I'll hate you all for not stopping me."

"I don't know about the others, Maddy-chan." Fai grinned, deciding that it was the perfect opportunity to annoy the girl into getting off his trail. "But I don't think you should worry about the Kheer so long as it's going to all the right places." His words, coupled with a shameless stare at said right places, was more than enough to make the volatile girl turn red.

As she girl slammed the bowl on the table top and jumped to her feet, Fai mentally congratulated himself for his success. Madiha would be far too embarrassed and irritated by him to even think about scrutinizing him.

"What the _hell_ is your problem you perverted ass!?" she yelled. "Do you get a kick out of harassing me or something? Because I swear to God if I hear you make one more comment like that, I'm going to take a rusted butter knife and hack you into a hundred pieces. And then I'll shove them right down your skinny throat!"

The silence that followed Madiha's outburst was so intense, Fai could hear the fork clatter against the table in the next café. As she stood there, glowering at him, Fai wondered momentarily if he'd pushed the girl beyond her limit this time.

-0-

Sakura listened to Madiha and Xahra as she cuddled Mokona, walking a step behind the two friends. Late in the afternoon, the streets of Rekourt were bustling with people. Most of the crowd consisted of students that would be attending various institutions around the city in a week's time. She wondered if the crowds would swell as more students arrived. She'd heard one of the girls at the apartment complex mention something like that a few days ago.

"I think you were a little harsh with Fai back there, Maddy. He was only having a little fun," Xahra said, and Sakura found herself silently agreeing. Fai had been teasing Madiha and Kurogane all through lunch, so she couldn't really understand why that comment had garnered such an explosive reaction.

In the end Xahra had to step in to mollify her best-friend with the suggestion that the girls in the group needed some time to relax and unwind. They _had_ been searching for the feather for over a week without really taking any breaks. Telling the boys to keep up the good work, Xahra had then grabbed both Maddy and Sakura and proceeded to drag them away from the café with a cheery goodbye. Mokona had promptly declared itself to be one of the girls and bounded into Sakura's arm to join in on the fun.

"I don't care," Madiha grumbled, still looking a little red in the face. "Would it kill the idiot to stop trying to flirt with me every chance he gets? I've never seen him do that with you. Sakura's too young so she doesn't have anything to worry about, but it's like he keeps singling me out."

"Well, maybe he knows I'd start flirting back," Xahra chuckled. "In fact, you know what? You should probably try that, too."

"Flirt back?" Maddy questioned dryly. "Haha, no. I don't think so. I'd sooner jump Kurogane than flirt with Fai. At least Kurogane knows how to be serious."

"So your criteria for a potential boyfriend is that he should be serious? I'd have thought you'd take their attractiveness into account too. Not that I'm saying Kurogane isn't good-looking or anything. Quite the contrary. Hey, Sakura!" Xahra whipped around to face her. The princess nearly crashed into her at the sudden stop. "What do you think? What would _you_ look for in a boy?"

Sakura stumbled, catching herself before she could fall. She felt the heat rise on her cheeks as both girls focused their attention on her. Even Madiha was looking at her with interest.

"I-I uhh…" Sakura struggled for something to say, acutely aware of the sun beating down on her back. The warm summer air suddenly felt too hot and humid, the lack of a breeze making her hair stick to the back of her neck. Her mind flashed back to the moment when she seen Syaoran for the first time. Right after he'd retrieved her memory in Hanshin Republic. He had looked at her with such a tender expression. And then there was the way he smiled at her sometimes. Not to mention everything else that he did for her. It always made her feel so… _nice._

"Wait, wait!" Xahra held up her hand, her grin taking on a teasing edge. "Don't tell me. I'll make a guess, okay? He's got to be a brunette, right?"

"Kickass at martial arts, maybe?" Madiha suggested.

"Has a thing for history and books!" Xahra snapped her fingers.

"And has a name that starts with an S," Mokona piped up.

Sakura blushed so deeply that she wondered if they could feel the heat coming off her face.

"That's so cute!" Xahra cooed. "She's _blushing._"

"Xahra-chan," she muttered, turning away in a useless attempt to hide her face, "I don't… I mean that's just…"

"Sakura likes Syaoran~" Mokona sang as it hopped onto Xahra's shoulder. "Sakura and Syaoran, sitting in a tree," it chanted. A couple of passersby stopped to stare at their group, and Sakura wondered why her friends had decided it would be fun to tease her all of a sudden.

"K-I-S-" Sakura grabbed Mokona in mortification, planting a hand over the creature's mouth.

"Moko-chan, please," she pleaded as it continued to sing in a muffled voice. "It's not like that."

"It's okay, Sleeping Beauty," Madiha said. "We won't tell him until you want him to know."

"No!" She frantically shook her head. "I mean, I don't like him like that."

"Judging from the way you're blushing, I kind of doubt that, Princess. I didn't think it was even possible to turn that red."

"You definitely like him," Xahra agreed.

"But I don't even know him…" Sakura admitted softly, looking away. "He's helping me find my memories and I don't even know why."

"So?" Xahra stepped around to stand in front of her. "That's not a very good reason not to like someone. You can always start getting to know him."

"Ask him where he's from. Or what he did before he met you, stuff like that," Madiha suggested.

"And what if he doesn't like me back?" she asked in a tiny voice, dropping her hand from Mokona's mouth.

"Are you kidding me?" Madiha said. "Even _Kurogane_ can tell that kid has a thing for you. Syaoran _is _helping you find your memories, isn't he? You don't do that for just about anyone. Trust me on this, Princess. He definitely likes you."

She felt a part of uncertainty melt away as her heart fluttered. She gave them a tiny smile. Maybe they were right.

"Sakura should do something nice for Syaoran to thank him. Mokona thinks that would make Syaoran happy."

"The fluff-ball is right." Madiha nodded. "You should get him a nice gift."

Plucking the creature from Sakura's hands, she dumped Mokona on Xahra's head and linked her arm with Sakura's. Mokona complained about Madiha being a female version of Kurogane and Sakura giggled at the face Madiha made. Xahra crooned in sympathy for the dimension hopper as she stepped on Sakura's other side and looped her arm through Sakura's.

"We can look for something at the fair," Xahra suggested as the girls started walking again. A carnival was set up near the outskirts of Rekourt. It was an annual event that took place the week before term began at the institutes all over Rekourt. They had heard mention of it all over the city, but none of them had had a chance to go see it. Xahra's impromptu declaration of time off from research had presented the girls with the perfect excuse to see the carnival for themselves. And if they could poke around a little bit for something about Sakura's feather while having fun, then there wasn't any harm in that either.

"Speaking of gifts," Xahra said once they had reached the entrance to the carnival. "You should get something for Fai to apologize, Maddy."

"Why?"

"Because despite him purposefully trying to annoy you, you _were_ quite harsh with him."

"He was asking for it."

"Well." Xahra stretched out the word as she squinted her face in a thoughtful expression. "Okay, maybe he was. A little."

Sakura giggled when Maddy let out a triumphant 'Ha!'.

"But, that does not excuse the way you yelled at him in front of the entire café," Xahra chastised. "So you _will _apologize or I'll tell him about that time in fourth grade when you climbed on the teacher's desk and declared to the whole class that you were going to marry Hammy the Burger Kid."

"You wouldn't…" Madiha let out a horrified gasp.

"I so would."

"I hate you." Maddy scowled, though her words lacked any true malice. Letting go of Sakura, she stalked off to a nearby tent while Sakura watched her disappear with a worried frown.

"She didn't mean that, did she?"

"Nah." Xahra waved off her concern. "She's just pissed that I blackmailed her into apologizing to Fai. Now come on, she went into the House of Mirrors. Let's go have some _fun._"

-0-

Xahra brought three tickets for the Ferris Wheel when Sakura mentioned she'd never been on one before. It was entirely possible that she had and just didn't have the memory of it, but Xahra decided it wouldn't hurt to let the princess experience it all over again. Maddy and Sakura were already in the waiting line, holding a spot for Xahra when she reached them.

"Here, Xahra-chan." Sakura held out a bag of cotton-candy. But it had a very different name here that was hard to pronounce despite Mokona's translations, so Xahra had decided to just call it 'purple fluff'. "Mokona is keeping the ones we bought for Syaoran-kun and the others."

Nodding her thanks, Xahra joined the queue, moaning as the purple fluff melted right in her mouth, exploding in a wonderful flavor that was sweet and spicy and with just a hint of sourness to it. She wondered if it was possible for Mokona to stock up on it before they left for the next world.

"Where should we go once we're done here?"

"I heard someone ahead of us discussing an animal show," Madiha replied. "Apparently there are a couple of unicorns and a phoenix in the program."

"Nice." Xahra whistled appreciatively. "I never thought I'd get to see a mythical creature in person. Aren't you glad I bought that game, eh, Maddy?"

"Your country didn't have mythical creatures?" Sakura asked as they reached the ticket collector. Xahra handed over the wooden tokens and the man waved them over to the cabin.

"Not outside of fairytales and movies," she replied as she held the door open for the princess. It swayed gently as the girls got in, making Sakura stumble back on the cushioned bench with a tiny shriek as the Ferris Wheel started with a groan. The entire cabin swayed back and forth as it began to rise through the air.

"What are movies?"

"They're like a record of moving pictures and sounds," Mokona said as it stole some purple fluff from Xahra's bag. The cabin jerked to a stop and Xahra wondered if the mechanism operating the ride was different from the ones back home. Each cabin came to a complete halt at ground level for passengers to climb aboard before rising. Steam hissed and whistled as it escaped from the engine as it turned the giant wheel.

"I think there were movies in Hanshin, too," Madiha said as she leaned back on the opposite bench. "You were sleeping, so you never really got a chance to see them, but maybe the next time we come to an advanced world, we can show you some."

"I wonder if they'd have the same stuff we had back home."

Maddy shrugged before stuffing some purple fluff in her mouth. They fell silent as the cabin climbed above the city line.

Xahra grinned when Sakura let out a delighted gasp once they had risen above the city. Looking out of the window, she could see all of Rekourt bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. In the distance, the metal spire at the top of a clock tower gleamed like a jewel. Xahra recognized the tower as the building they were staying at.

"You can see our place from up here." She pointed with a grin.

The sky morphed into an assortment of pink and gold and purple streaked with wispy red clouds. In the heart of the Rekourt, she could see tiny black forms of people sputtering through the air on steam-powered contraptions. Looking out through the other window, however, she could see the tents in the fairgrounds stretched out below, glowing in the orange light cast from the gas lamps all over the carnival. The sky close to the horizon was a rich velvety shade of blue, streaked with stars like little white pearls.

She drank in the sight, listening to the other three point out different things that could be seen from their cabin as they reached the highest point of the ride before beginning their jerky descent. By the time their cabin reached the ground, Xahra had just about finished her bag of cotton candy. Sakura chattered about her experience to Mokona and Madiha. Her friend seemed to be in a much better mood as she indulged the princess, smiling and nodding along to what she said as they made their way through the carnival.

Xahra wondered_ why_ Fai had singled Madiha out for his teasing. Sakura was too young, as Madiha had pointed out earlier, but Xahra doubted Fai would have bothered the princess had she been older. But that was probably because Fai seemed like a decent guy who wouldn't go after someone that was already taken. Or almost taken. Or… well whatever it was that Sakura and Syaoran seemed to have going on between them. Would Syaoran's price for Mokona be affected in any way if they were to start building their relationship from scratch? Yuuko had never been clear on that. Xahra really hoped for the two's sake that the price of relationship had been limited to Sakura and Syaoran's past alone. It would be too cruel to the boy otherwise.

Madiha did not seem to enjoy the blond's attention very much, though Xahra really couldn't see what seemed to bother her friend so much about him. He was good looking, fun-loving, kind of sweet when he wanted to be and had a sense of humor. When he wasn't purposely trying to annoy other people, that was. To Xahra, it felt as though he was going for the whole 'I'm-interested-in-you-so-I'll-annoy-you-to-get-yo u-to-pay-attention-to-me' approach. Either that, or maybe he just actually enjoyed teasing Madiha. She had to admit, her reactions to Fai were almost as entertaining to watch as Kurogane's.

A gust of cold wind shook her out of her thoughts. Xahra thought she heard a small crash behind her, pausing to look over her shoulder, but saw nothing extraordinary in the crowds. She felt a tingle travel up her spine as they passed bright colored tents, glancing at the knickknacks set up at different stalls. Pausing for a moment at a fork in the path, they deliberated on the direction of the animal show before heading down the path to the left.

"Left or right?" Maddy asked when they paused at the point where the path split into two.

"Left?" Xahra ventured, casting another glance over shoulder.

"Left it is then."

The tents grew farther apart the longer they traveled, the crowd thinning out slowly, though Madiha attributed it the people already being at the show.

As it turned out, the girls had picked the wrong direction. And they only realized their mistake once they were at the edge of the fair, looking out at the open moonlit plains that stretched out beyond Rekourt's limits. A sinking feeling in Xahra's gut told her that something didn't quite feel right about the whole situation. She shuddered, feeling goosebumps raise the hair all over her body as they turned to head back.

"Next time, we stop and ask for directions instead of wandering blindly to nowhere, all right?" Madiha grumbled.

There weren't a lot of people on this side of the carnival and Xahra wondered if maybe this was where the people working at the carnival settled in for the night. Gas lamps still lit up parts of the way, but now that they were trying to find their way back to the main part of the fair, Xahra realized that it looked rather unsafe. It was getting late and she had no doubt the boys would be getting worried about them. Maybe once they had seen the animal show and found some appropriate gifts, they could head back home.

Hearing something rustle behind them, Xahra shot a glance over her shoulder. A cat streaked across the dirt path, nearly making her jump and she turned her attention back to the path ahead of her. Rubbing her arms to fight off the sudden chill in the air, she looked at the others. Mokona was prattling on to Sakura and Madiha about some of the things it had done with Yuuko and the other Mokona back at the shop. None of them looked worried and from the looks of it, none of them could feel the drop in temperature.

Unease twisted her gut. She could feel the hair at the base of her neck rising. She got the distinct impression of being watched, but looking around in the shadows, she still couldn't see anything unusual. Gritting her teeth, she tried to dismiss the agitated feeling as paranoia. After all, she could already hear the sound of laughter and people talking. They had almost made it back to the main part of the carnival without anything happening.

Xahra let herself relax just a little.

Up ahead, she could see a few gas lamps illuminating the dirt path in front of a deep blue tent. They were nearly there when a group of four men stepped out from behind the tent to block their way.

"Hello there," one of the men drawled as he eyed their group. "What're ya ladies doin' so far away from da main attractions?"

The feeling of dread from earlier returned tenfold, and Xahra realized she had been foolish to let her guard down. They were most definitely in trouble. Out of three of them, Sakura was the least capable of defending herself. Gently taking hold of the princess's arm, Xahra pushed Sakura behind her.

"Took a wrong turn, didn'tcha ladies?" grinned a second man, giving them full view of his yellow teeth.

"We don't want any trouble," Madiha said, and Xahra was surprised by how steady her voice sounded. "So if you gentlemen don't mind, we'll just be heading off." Grabbing Sakura's hand, Madiha made to walk right past the men only to have her way blocked off by the third man.

"Don' want any trouble, she says," said the last man, whose bony face made him resemble a horse. "Well, what if _we're_ _looking_ fer a lil bit o' trouble, Miss?"

Xahra gritted her teeth as the other hooted while Madiha stepped back to stand beside her, pushing Sakura behind them once again.

"Well, I'll say," the first man said as he closed the distance between them. He peered at Xahra for a moment before looking at Mokona. She heard the dimension hopper whimper and press a little closer to her neck. "Dat's a mighty fine pet you got there, Miss."

"Look, let us leave, okay?" Xahra said, pressing a comforting hand on Mokona as she glared at the man. "We've got our friends waiting for us inside that tent over there and you really don't want to piss them off."

"Is dat so?" He straightened up. "Ya 'ear dat boys? Dey got _friends_ waiting fer dem."

The other men guffawed.

"Why don't ya call em out 'ere then, eh, Miss?" taunted Horse-face.

Xahra said nothing, trying to think of a way to get them out of that mess. She doubted their screams would attract anyone nearby. There must have been a reason these men had cornered them at that spot after all.

"Ya wanna know what I think?" Yellow-teeth called out as he walked over to them, though he stopped a couple of feet behind the first one. Maybe the first man was the boss. "I think yer bluffin'."

"Ya got no one with ya 'ere," the third man said. Unlike his companions, there was nothing remarkable about the way he looked. "Wanna know how I know? I know cuz I've been following yer little party all day today. Ya ladies came 'ere alone."

"You'll regret this," Madiha hissed.

"Oh?" The boss grinned as he leaned closer to her. Xahra was amazed to see Madiha hold her ground, glaring right back at the man. Thirty seconds passed before the boss looked away with a shake of his head.

"I got a little proposal fer ya ladies. Since ya don' want trouble wid us, an' ya sound like ya got _friends_ waiting fer ya, how about ya give us yer little pet an' yer money an' we let ya leave?"

"How about you get the hell away from us and _leave_?"

"I was hopin' I wouldn' have ta do dis, but ya leave me no choice." The boss snapped his fingers and Sakura let out a terrified shriek. Xahra whirled around just in time to see a mountain of a man grab the princess and pull her away from them.

"Sakura!" she and Mokona yelled in unison, watching in mounting horror as the princess flailed in her captor's grip. Xahra mentally cheered for the girl when she managed to land a punch in the giant's gut. Unfortunately, the blow didn't do her much good. Grunting as though irritated by a buzzing fly, the giant grabbed the princess's arm in his meaty fingers and twisted it behind her back.

Sakura screamed.

**_A/N: The girls are in trouble~ Any one wants to guess how they'll be getting out of this one? ;) _**


	4. Rekourt: Thugs and Fortune-tellers

_"Sakura!" she and Mokona yelled in unison, watching in mounting horror as the princess flailed in her captor's grip. Xahra mentally cheered for the girl when she managed to land a punch in the giant's gut. Unfortunately, the blow didn't do her much good. Grunting in irritation, the giant grabbed the princess's arm in his meaty fingers and twisted it behind her back._

_Sakura screamed._

The giant dragged Sakura around the girls and came to stand behind his boss.

"Xahra-chan! Maddy-chan!" she cried.

"Shut up and stay still!' Yellow-teeth yelled as he backhanded the princess. For a moment, the princess was too stunned to do anything as she stared up at the man. Madiha doubted that the girl had ever been hit in her life.

"Let her go!" Xahra yelled.

Sakura blinked and started to scream even louder than before.

"Help! Help! Hel-mmpph!" The giant covered her mouth with his hand. It looked like Sakura bit down on it because the man flinched, though he didn't let go.

"Let go of her!" Madiha growled, but the boss only grinned.

"I thought ya ladies needed a bit o' convincin'."

Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach when he pulled out a knife from his jacket and pressed it against Sakura's stomach. Blood rushed to Madiha's ears when the man pushed the tip against the fabric, and the princess whimpered. Tears began to flow down Sakura's cheeks. Clenching her fists, Maddy willed her stupid, inconvenient alchemy to work. Symbols and names of elements always popped up in her head whenever they were in trouble, but for some reason, nothing was happening.

Maddy quickly searched their surroundings for something to use to their advantage. Her gaze fell on the small blue tent once more and she wondered if someone was there. She quickly dismissed it as being empty because if there had been someone occupying it, they'd have come to help when Sakura screamed. She looked back at the thugs, her mind racing. Even if she didn't include the giant holding Sakura, they were outnumbered two to one, and unarmed. Why wasn't anything coming to her mind? She always had an equation in her head before things got really bad and—

"Is yer talkin' pet worth more then yer friend's life?"

"You bastard!" Maddy snarled, stepping towards the man. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The boss's face twisted in anger as he moved away from Sakura to point the knife towards Madiha.

"What didja call me?"

"You heard me." Maddy smirked, ignoring the confused look Xahra shot towards her. Lady Luck had decided to favor them after all. Even if Maddy didn't understand the basics of alchemy yet, it was the best they had.

She clapped her hands together and dropped to the ground. The minute Madiha's palms touched the dirt, an electric blue light spread out from the point of contact. The ground rumbled as earthen fists shot upto slam into the thugs.

The giant holding the princess swayed dangerously for a moment before his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He toppled over, falling on top of Sakura.

"Sakura!" Mokona cried, hopping off Xahra's shoulder to reach the princess. Madiha straightened up as she dusted off her hands. She hung back, keeping an eye on the thugs as Xahra hurried over to the princess. Maddy watched her push the thug off of Sakura and helped the princess sit up. Sakura's face was streaked with dirt,and her tears caught the orange light. A moment later, Sakura began to cry as she threw her arms around Xahra.

A few minutes went by as Xahra tried to calm the weeping girl before Sakura finally pulled back with an embarrassed blush.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I… I'm fine, Xahra-chan." Sakura gave Xahra a weak smile. "I'm just shaken up. That's all."

Maddy glanced at the unconscious thugs, satisfied that they were unconscious as she walked over to Sakura. She made sure to step on all of their hands along the way, kicking the giant for good measure before stopping by Sakura's side.

"Great punch, Sleeping Beauty." She grinned, offering a hand to the princess. When the princess took her hand, she pulled Sakura to her feet. Pulling the girl closer she peered at her face. Sakura's hair was a complete mess and one side of her face was beginning to swell and turn purple. She frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Sakura brought up a hand to touch her face, flinching, though she managed a smile.

"I'll be fine. Umm…" She hesitated. "Maddy-chan, I uh… thank you for what you did."

"It was no problem, Princess." Maddy ruffled her hair.

"Did you know what you were doing?" Xahra asked, following her gaze when Maddy glanced back at the thugs. Maddy looked at Xahra with a sheepish grin.

"To be completely honest? I was just praying I wouldn't end up killing us all."

"In other words, we got lucky?"

"Hey!" she protested. "It's not like you could have come up with something better. The equation popped in my head, and I used it."

The knowledge was there, that much she knew. In fact, her situation sounded eerily similar to the boy in her grandfather's stories; the one that had glimpsed at the Truth beyond the Gate in an attempt to perform a forbidden transmutation. The boy had ended up losing an arm and a leg as a consequence to what he had learned, but she wasn't sure what price she had paid for it. She still had all of her limbs, and as far as she knew, all her organs were still inside her. Maybe her price was different in the sense that her brother had taken her place in death.

"And what if something had gone wrong?

"Well it didn't go wrong, did it?" she snapped. "And it saved us all, so can you stop lecturing me about it?"

"Maddy, I wasn't—"

"If it gets you off my back, I swear I'll look into it a bit further before I try anything. Now can we move before—" Maddy tensed when the flap to the square blue tent parted. She hadn't thought it had been occupied but if the occupants were only coming out now, they must have been with the thugs. And now they were coming out because the girls had been too stupid to leave when they had the chance. Mokona let a frightened squeak before jumping into her arms. Xahra grabbed Sakura's hand. Adrenalin pumped through Madiha's veins as she fixed her gaze on the entrance getting ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. She could only hope that Xahra would be able to drag the princess along before they got caught.

"Oh, gods above, I thought I'd never live to see this day," a woman said as she stepped out into the lamplight. Maddy drew in a sharp breath.

The woman glanced at the thugs on the ground, her features twisting in disgust before she turned her gaze back on the girls. The woman smiled so broadly it made her look a decade younger.

"I thought I sensed someone powerful outside," she said, shuffling over to them. Madiha took half a step back, tightening her hold on Mokona as the woman walked up to her. Still smiling, the woman took Madiha's hand in her own, appearing as though she had just received the greatest gift imaginable. She looked at them all. "I just didn't think it would be someone like you. May Ashura bless my soul, it really _is_ you."

She looked at all three of them, seeming to drink in the sight before her.

"Do we know you?" Madiha frowned, all thoughts of running fleeing her mind as she took in the woman's appearance. Her hair was white as freshly fallen snow, and her weather-beaten face was lined with dark skin that drooped over her features like wrinkled leather. _Ancient _was probably the best way to describe the tiny woman. The only thing about the woman that contrasted with her aged appearance was her sparkling green eyes. She wore a shawl over her folded shoulders, a colorful scarf covering half her head. Big gold hoops dangled from her ears and numerous bangles hung from her bony wrists.

"How terribly rude of me." The woman chuckled. The gold hoops at her ears swayed as she shook her head. "I am the Oracle, but you may call me Frey. Well, don't just stand there. Come in. Come inside. It is not safe to be out here with those thugs."

Without waiting for a response, Frey wrapped her bony fingers around Maddy's arm and dragged her towards her tent. The tent barely looked big enough for two people, no larger than the fortuneteller booths she'd seen at the carnivals back home. Madiha protested about being manhandled, aware of Xahra and Sakura following after them.

"I apologize for not coming to your aid sooner. Had I realized that they'd cast a shielding spell to keep people from hearing you, your friend might not have gotten hurt." Pausing outside the entrance, the woman let go of Madiha's arm to lift up the flap in invitation. Giving the smiling woman a wary look, Maddy ducked under the flap and froze just beyond the threshold.

"It's bigger on the inside," Maddy gasped. Sakura and Xahra mirrored her reactions when they entered.

"They all say that." Frey chuckled as she shuffled inside after them.

Had she not seen the outside with her own eyes, Maddy would never have believed that the golden walls and the high curved ceiling belonged within the tent they'd seen outside. That tiny blue thing had hardly looked any bigger then a telephone booth. But as she stood there at the threshold, gaping at the vast room, Maddy realized it could have easily fit a hundred of those tiny blue tents inside it.

"How can it be so big on the inside?" Maddy whispered.

"It's Relative Displacement in Space, my dear," Frey replied,taking hold of Sakura's arm. "It's just one of the branches of magic taught in my homeland. Feel free to take a look around while I help your young friend," she led Sakura past a line of intricately carved display cases.

Made of wood and etched glass, the cases took up the right half of the tent, while the left half was an odd mixture of steam powered contraptions and cushions covered in jewelembroidered cloth. Plush rugs covered the floor, and tiny balls of fire floating inside golden lamps lit up the room. There were shawls thrown on the cushions and a table located near the back of the tent.

Bottles and vials containing herbs and various medicinal concoctions filled a carved wooden table. Frey made the princess sit on a tiny stool next to it before shuffling over to the table to search for something.

"Magic is so cool," Xahra whispered excitedly in Maddy's ear.

"Yeah." Maddy chuckled, moving towards the closest display case.

"Maybe we'll even find something for the boys here," Xahra said, hurrying over to the case next to Maddy's.

Madiha doubted that Frey had anything that worked as a suitable gift. Despite her skepticism, she peered through the glass top. She admired the neat rows of rings and brooches on dark velvet, surprised to realize that instead of the cheap merchandise that Madiha had from the woman, the jewelery appeared to be expertly made. Every piece had intricate designs embossed into precious metal. The brooches were inlaid with beautifully cut stones.

"Is Frey a healer?" she heard Mokona ask as it bounced to the floor and hopped over to where Sakura was.

"If your little pet can _talk,_ no wonder those thugs wanted to get their hands on it."

"Mokona is not a pet!" the dimension hopper protested,hopping into Sakura's arms. "Mokona is Mokona."

"Well then, Little Mokona." Frey laughed as she returned to Sakura's side with a glass jar. "Please accept my apologies. This is for the bruises and the swelling. Apply it before you go to sleep and they should be gone by morning." She handed the jar to the princess. "To answer your question, Little Mokona. I am indeed a healer, among other things. But I am also a fortuneteller and a traveler and a seller of rare items."

Feeling a pang of disappointment knowing that she didn't have enough money to purchase anything in that case, Madiha moved on to the next. This one displayed necklaces, chokers, and armbands, once again exhibiting excellent craftsmanship. Groaning, she moved on to the next. It all looked so _expensive_. Looking through the glass, she was a little surprised to see the third one showcasing embroidered shawls.

"Feel free to take a closer look," Frey offered as she appeared out of nowhere. Smiling at Madiha, she unlocked the case and removed the glass top, gesturing for her to feel the material.

Almost afraid of ruining its perfection, she reached out to pick up a cream-colored shawl. It had beautiful floral patterns stitched into it, with blue silk that changed the way the light fell on it. The material felt soft under her fingers, warming to her touch as though enchanted to generate heat upon contact. Which, Madiha suspected, could very well be the case.

"It's beautiful," she told Frey, getting treated to another one of the Oracle's smiles.

"Why thank you dear. It's one of my finest so far."

"You _made_ this?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Of course, child. Everything you see in here was made by me."

"Even the jewelery?"

"Every single piece."

"Wow…" She looked back at the shawl in her hand, admiring its quality.

"Your young friend seemed to know exactly what she wants," Freya nodded in Sakura's direction. The princess now stood next to a tall bookshelf, a concentrated frown on her face as she observed the titles. Mokona was a few shelves away with Xahra, who also appeared to be searching for a book. Madiha chuckled. Even without her memories of him, it appeared Sakura knew exactly what to get for the boy.

"You, on the other hand, appear indecisive. Is there anything in particular you are looking for?" the old woman asked, neatly folding the shawl when Maddy handed it to her.

"Well… I'm actually not sure." She scratched the back of her head. "I _might_ have been a little rude to someone I know and I need to get something meaningful to apologize with. Only problem is, I really don't know him well enough to know what could work."

"Is that so?" Frey frowned, carefully putting the shawl away and locking the case. She took Madiha's hand in her own and closed her eyes for a moment. "How curious..."

"What?"

"I can't get a clear reading you, my dear." Frey chuckled as she opened her eyes. "You won't find what you are looking for in these display cases, I'm afraid. Come, come to the back with me," she insisted, not giving Madiha a chance to resist as she began dragging her towards the back of the tent. Sitting her down, Frey moved around the table to take the opposite chair. "Do you know what you are?"

"What's that got to do with the gift I'm searching for?"

"Nothing at all," Frey replied, staring at Maddy. Tilting her head to one side, Frey squinted. "Or everything… Now, that _is _curious."

"What are you getting at?"

"My people have a legend," Frey told her. "It is an old story, passed down through many generations. Would you like to hear it?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

"Of course. It is our choices, after all, that determine what paths we take to reach the future. Once, time flowed in one direction, like a river following a set course. A man sought to change that by reversing the natural course of history. But in order to achieve that, he had to curse someone very important and get someone else to break a taboo for him. A young boy, in an attempt to save what he held dear, made a forbidden wish and paid a terrible price as a consequence. What the boy did not know, however, was that his wish would encompass all of reality. Think of it as suddenly banishing the banks of a river. With the price he paid, time could now flow anywhere."

"I don't think I made the choice to listen to this story of yours." Maddy gave her a wry chuckle.

"Sometimes, there are things you need to hear in order for one future to assert itself."

"So you're trying to manipulate my future now, is that it?" She quirked a brow. She didn't really put much stock in fortune telling. But she figured it wouldn't hurt to listen while Sakura searched for a gift. Once they had the book, they could pay for it and head back home.

"It's not that simple," Freya replied. "What once only had a single outcome now has endless possibilities. The future is constantly changing. What is certain one second can become a distant possibility the next. Even the things you witness in your _dreams_ can be changed, based on a single decision. By breaking the taboo, the boy turned back the flow of time itself. Reality was damaged to an extent where continuing the cycle was the only way for it to exist. Now everything comes to a full circle as reality tries to fix itself."

"So what's so curious about it?"

"By bringing in changes, reality might be set back on the right course again." Madiha really wasn't sure what to make of the old woman's grin. "And I seem to have found a change." Frey's stare was starting to unnerve Madiha. She nearly jumped when the old woman clapped her hands together. "Now then. Tell me about this _companion_ of yours."

"That was a quick switch." She withdrew her hand as she glanced over at Sakura. Xahra was reading out a few of the titles to her, the princess listening intently, no doubt having trouble deciding on what to buy.

"I can't tell what you need unless I know a little more about him," Frey insisted.

"You expect me to pay you money for stuff that I'm not even sure he'll like?"

"Of course not." Frey snickered. "You and your friends can have an item each, in exchange for allowing me to read you once."

"Seriously? You'd give us stuff _that_ expensive for free?"

"Sometimes, the _experience_ is worth more than anything money could pay for."

Madiha stared at Frey, searching her expression for signs of deception.

"There isn't much to him, really," Madiha conceded with a sigh. "He's annoying, a bit of a jerk, and he loves to bug me. Although, he can be pretty nice when he wants to, I guess. He also has a tendency to space out, usually when he thinks no one is looking at him."

"What about his looks?"

"Tall, blond, blue-eyed and a bit on the skinny side. He's always smiling, and he loves to laugh, usually at my expense."

"Is he a magic user?"

"Well… he _does_ claim he's a wizard. Though I haven't seen him do any magic in all the time I've known him."

"Why is that?" Frey looked interested now.

"Not really sure." She shrugged. "He says he gave up his ability to use magic when he paid for Mokona."

"Is that so?" Frey appeared skeptical. Maddy waited for her to elaborate further but Freya asked a new question instead. "Do you know what he paid for little Mokona with?"

"A tattoo."

"Interesting choice of payment," Frey muttered. Maddy glanced towards Xahra and Sakura, noticing that they appeared to have narrowed their choices to two books. She wondered how much longer it would take the princess to decide what she wanted. Her attention was drawn back to the Oracle when Frey took her hand. "That's all I needed to know about him. Now, close your eyes and picture the tattoo in your mind for me."

"Don't tell me you're gonna try and bring back his tattoo. I don't think Yuuko's price works that way."

"Oh no, child," Freya laughed. "I will collect the image from your mind and let my magic mold it into something suitable that you can give him."

"Is that how you usually make your stuff?"

"Yes, although I prefer to create the designs myself. Make sure you picture it very clearly in your mind."

Shrugging to herself, Maddy closed her eyes and thought back to the only time when she had seen the tattoo at Yuuko's shop. The design had been some kind of bird with a wide wingspan. She wondered if it'd been wide enough to wrap around Fai's torso. She felt a warmth travel up her arm from where Frey was touching her, something trying to grasp at the image in her mind. Keeping her attention focused on that brief moment in Yuuko's shop proved harder than she'd imagined, and even as Frey's magic tried to pick apart the tattoo from her, Madiha found herself thinking about a different sort of bird she had once seen in her dreams.

A moment later, she felt a bright flash of light through her closed lids and the warmth receded from her body. She opened her eyes to see Frey holding up a blue crystal carving in her palm.

"All done." Frey smiled, handing it to Madiha, who carefully took the carving from the Oracle and brought it closer to her face. It was shaped vaguely like a bird in flight, its wings spread, though the ends curled in towards the center. The plumage behind the bird's head formed a tiny ringlet, wide enough to pass a thread or a chain through it. The heart of the stone was darker than the edges, although swirls of the dark blue spread outwards through the entire carving, reminding Maddy of the curling smoke that always enveloped them when shifting dimensions.

"Wow!" Xahra exclaimed, plucking the pendant out of Maddy's hands. "This is gorgeous. Did you get it for Fai?"

Maddy looked up at her friend in annoyance. She'd not even bothered to ask before taking it from her. Mokona bounced to Xahra's shoulder from her head to admire the crystal pendant, while Sakura stood a couple of feet away, studying it with curiosity.

-0-

"Give it back," Madiha snapped, snatching the pendant from Xahra's fingers. "I wasn't done looking at it."

"Fine, fine." Xahra chuckled at her friend's impatience. "Keep the gift you got for Mr. Tall, Blond and Gorgeous. I'll just go look for another piece with Mokona."

"You won't find another like it." The Oracle laughed. "Your friend is the one that presented me with the design."

"No offense Frey, but I find that a little hard to believe. Maddy doesn't have a single artistic bone in her body."

"I saw the design somewhere," Madiha mumbled. Pocketing the pendant, she stood up to offer her chair to Sakura. "Here you go, Sleeping Beauty. And for the record, Xahra, Blondie is anything _but _gorgeous."

"You really need to develop a proper taste in men, Maddy."

"My taste in men is just fine," Madiha snapped. "Quit being annoying."

Xahra wisely decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

Sakura sat down in the chair with a tiny smile. Xahra watched as she placed the book on the table, and Frey picked it up with interest. The old woman browsed through the book for a moment and Xahra wondered how much the Oracle would ask for it. It was a first edition compilation of how magic and science had come to co-exist in Rekourt. It also covered most of the major technological advancements made in that world so far. It was all written in Rekourt's local language that Sakura herself couldn't read. The only reason Xahra had recommended the princess get it was because she knew Syaoran knew the language. Sakura had seemed excited at the idea when Xahra had suggested she ask Syaoran for lessons when they had the time. Xahra was quite certain Syaoran would love the idea too.

"You have picked a very interesting tome, my dear," Frey said as she snapped the cover shut and returned the book to Sakura.

"How much would you like for it?" Sakura asked.

"Allow me to read your fortune and you can have the book."

"Really?" Sakura exclaimed, her eyes shining in excitement.

"Frey can't interfere!" Mokona exclaimed, hopping to the table top as it held up a stubby paw towards Frey. "Yuuko says that telling the future is considered interference."

"The Space-Time Witch is right, Little Mokona," Frey replied and Sakura's expression seemed to wilt a little. "But there are still things that I can reveal without crossing the acceptable limits. I merely wish to know what the future holds for such an interesting group of travelers."

"Did you get that from when you read my fortune?" Maddy asked suddenly. Xahra wondered if Frey had asked for a similar payment from Maddy. As much as Madiha believed that she could see the future in her dreams, Xahra knew that she had never put any stock in fortunetellers before. Why would Madiha let Frey do it now? Unless that was the only payment Frey had accepted. In which case, would she ask the same of Xahra in return of whatever she chose?

While Frey took Sakura's hand in her own and attempted to read the princess's future, Xahra thought about what she wanted. Maybe… she could ask her to look into Xahra's past instead of the future. Surely, revealing the past wouldn't cause any problems with the whole interference business. And Xahra would find some of the answers she was searching for.

Xahra knew her past was connected to the reason why she had ended up on this journey. She wasn't sure how she knew, but it had started out as an idea back in Hanshin; something that her Kudan had said when it had first appeared in her dream. And with every world that they had passed through, the feeling had only grown stronger. Now, it felt just as much a fact as the rising of the sun each morning.

Xahra glanced at the pair at the table, noting how Frey's expression had suddenly grown melancholic. She must have noticed Sakura's missing memories. Hadn't Syaoran said something along the lines of the memories also being a part of Sakura's soul? Maybe Frey could sense that.

"I am so sorry for your loss, dear." Frey let go of Sakura's hand with a soft sigh. "Losing all that you were in such a brutal manner… I am truly sorry."

"If it's not too much trouble, can I decide what you tell me about the future?" Sakura worried her lip as she traced the gilded patterns on her purchase.

"That depends on how much it pushes the acceptable boundaries of interference.

"Oh…"

"I can still try. What would you like to know?"

"Our journey can get very dangerous at times," Sakura replied, meeting Xahra's gaze before she looked back down at the book. "Even if everyone has their own reasons for traveling with Mokona, they all come in harm's way while searching for my memories. I-I… I wanted to know if… everyone will be okay?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that." Frey shook her head. To Xahra, it appeared as though the Oracle's expression had darkened for a moment, and she had to wonder if something bad was in store for them. Xahra really hoped it wasn't anything too extreme, like lost limbs or deaths. With the type of trouble they had gotten in so far, it didn't take much to come up with a worst case scenario, but Xahra really hoped she was reading too much into the Oracle's expressions. "Besides, the future changes with every passing second. That of your group more so than others, so what I tell you may not even remain true for long."

"Rather convenient, isn't it?" Madiha quirked a brow. "Your predictions might or might not be true because the _future_ is not set in stone. Why are you so interested in reading our fortunes if you're not even sure they'd say true?"

"Regardless of how long they remain that way, they are still a part of this reality when I read them. That in itself makes for an extraordinary experience."

Frey's logic didn't make any sense to Xahra, but she wondered if Frey would say the same for questions asked about Xahra's past.

"Uh-huh, sure." Madiha waved her hand as though she didn't really care for what Frey was saying. "So how about you tell us if Sleeping Beauty here will get together with the boy she's getting that book for in the future you saw."

Xahra had to bite back a grin as Sakura turned tomato-red. The princess seemed to have reached the conclusion that neither Xahra nor Madiha had any plans on letting up on their teasing because she didn't even bother trying to tell Madiha to stop. Or maybe she was just as curious to know the answer.

"Yes."

"Is that all you're gonna tell us?" Madiha frowned.

"Unless you want that future to become an impossibility, yes." Frey turned her attention to Sakura with a sweet smile. "The book is yours, dear. Now, do you have something you would like to buy?" Shedirected the last question at Xahra. Xahra sat down in the chair, wondering how to phrase her request.

"Do you have trouble deciding what to get?"

"No," Xahra shook her head. "I'm just trying to decide how to ask."

Frey reached across the table to hold Xahra's hand. She closed her eyes, and Xahra felt warmth spread up her arm from the point of contact. It took her a moment to identify it as Frey's magic, probing her mind for the question she couldn't ask.

"Are you sure that is what you want?" Frey's expression turned melancholic; a feeling of dread settled in Xahra's gut. "You can always ask for something else."

"But… that's why I came on this journey," she said. This was important. She _had _to know who she was.

Frey gave a resigned look before nodding.

"How far back would you like for me to see?"

Xahra thought back to the very first memory she had of her childhood.

"Everything from before I woke up in the orphanage," she replied, not even daring to glance at her friends. She wondered briefly what Madiha thought of her request, but she forced herself to shrug it off, focusing on Frey instead. The Oracle closed her eyes once more as her magic probed Xahra's body like liquid fire. Strangely enough, the burn didn't feel uncomfortable at all, as though her body was already adapting to the feeling of the foreign power flowing through it.

She gasped as a wall of ice formed in the pit of her stomach to oppose the Frey's fire.

Frey frowned, but didn't appear surprised. Xahra felt Frey's magic slam into the wall, backing off and attacking once again with more force. The wall held strong and Xahra felt Frey's magic recede.

"I am afraid your memories have been sealed off," Frey told her as she let go of Xahra's hand. The Oracle clambered to her feet with an apologetic smile. "I am truly sorry I could not be of more help to you."

"What do you mean her memories are sealed off? Like with _magic_?" Madiha stepped into Frey's way when the Oracle tried to walk away.

"Powerful magic," she confirmed. Xahra felt a shiver travel down her spine.

"That can't be right." Madiha shook her head. "Our world didn't have magic."

"And yet you still found yourself at the Time-Space witch's shop," Frey countered.

"That was a freakish accident."

"That was fate."

"Bullshit! We write own fates."

Frey gave her an enigmatic smile.

"If your world did not have magic, isn't it a rather curious thing that your friend is a witch?"

Xahra felt the ground slip from beneath her feet. She had been playing with the idea in her head ever since they had arrived in Rekourt, but to suddenly have it confirmed was just a little overwhelming. Xahra watched her best friend argue with Frey on her behalf. She saw Sakura clutch at Mokona with a worried look, taking a hesitant step forward before stopping.

Xahra took it all in without processing it as her mind went round in circles. Like Madiha had pointed out, magic didn't exist in their world. Apart from the board game that had taken them to Yuuko's shop, she had never seen anything that resembled magicher whole life. And for all she knew the board game could have been created in a place with magic and sent to her world. She tried to remember the woman that had sold her the game and fought back a shudder when she realized that the woman had held an uncanny resemblance to Silver.

_Trust me. You'll thank me for this one day,_ the demon's voice whispered in her mind, and she felt the skin on her back itch where Silver's claws had cut her in Jade. Dread twisted her gut in painful knots. Silver had come after her in Citadel and again, in Jade. The woman that had sold the game had looked like Silver. Xahra was a witch, and her memories had been sealed off by magic. Could it be that… Xahra hadn't been born in the world she'd grown up in? What if she'd been sent there, and that was why she had no memory of her parents or her life before the orphanage?

"Xahra-chan," Sakura's mumble drew her out of her thoughts, and she looked up in time to see the princess sway on her feet and collapse on the ground.

"Oh crap." Madiha swore, rushing over to the fallen girl as Mokona crawled out from under Sakura's arms. Xahra hopped to her feet and ran over as well. "Looks like Sleeping Beauty has gone back to sleep. Couldn't she have waited till we'd gotten back to the apartment?"

"Maddy shouldn't be mean to Sakura," Mokona protested. "Sakura was trying very hard to stay awake. It's not Sakura's fault that Sakura doesn't have much energy."

"She didn't mean it, Mokona," Xahra said, carefully picking Mokona up as she glanced over at Frey. In the time it had taken for the two girls to roll the princess onto her back, the old woman had already made it across the tent to the entrance. She had her back towards them and she appeared to be fiddling with something on the tent flaps.

"Xahra's right, Fluff-ball." Maddy nodded. "I just said it because I felt like complaining about it. Don't take it to heart."

"Sakura would be sad to hear Maddy say it."

"Great. Now _Mokona _is trying to guilt trip me?" Madiha groaned.

"Is it working?" Xahra asked, trying to infuse her tone with a little bit of her earlier cheer, but failing miserably.

"Hey, Xahra," Maddy said softly, "don't worry about what Frey said, okay? We'll figure something out. Let's just try and get back first. We've wasted enough time here as it is, and I think at least _one_ of the boys will be freaking out that we're so late."

Xahra glanced back towards Frey for a moment before meeting Madiha's earnest gaze.

"You're right." She nodded. "We should head home."

"Good." Madiha grinned, plucking Mokona from her hands and grabbing Sakura's fallen book. "So I'll carry these and you can carry Sleeping Beauty."

"I've spelled the exit to take you close to where you live." Frey shuffled over to them. "You should appear a few blocks from your apartment, so it will not be a long walk carrying your friend."

"Thanks." Xahra gave her a tiny smile as she tried to get pick up Sakura. "Maddy, a little help please?" she grunted when the princess proved to be heavier than expected.

"Nah, I think I'll just stand back and watch you struggle with the potato sack."

"Maddy shouldn't be mean to Sakura and Xahra!" Mokona cried, bopping its little paw on Madiha's head. The girl let out an indignant shriek, and Xahra couldn't help but laugh as she pushed her worried away. Maddy was right. They could talk about it once they were in their shared room.

"You stupid fluff-ball, did you just _hit_ me?"

"Mokona will hit Maddy every time Maddy is mean to Mokona's friends."

"I am truly sorry I could not be of more help to you," Frey whispered as she appeared at Xahra's side, helping her move Sakura over her back. Xahra slung Sakura's arms around her neck, using them to pull Sakura properly onto her back and into a better position.

"It's okay," Xahra replied, watching as Madiha grabbed and threw Mokona off her head although the dimension hopper merely bounced off and on top of the wooden table. "I'm sure I'll find out soon enough."

"Sometimes, not knowing can be a blessing," Freya said as Madiha tried to grab Mokona. Xahra readjusted her grip on Sakura.

"Oi, Maddy! We need to leave sometime before morning, you know."

"I refuse to carry Mokona now," Madiha huffed as she stalked towards the exit. Mokona gave an indignant cry and bounded after Madiha as they vanished through the tent flaps.

"Sometimes, when it feels like an important part of you is missing," she said to Frey, "even a blessing can become a curse."

The Oracle gave her a sad little smile before nodding as she walked Xahra to the exit.

"In that case, may Ashura keep watch over you."

"Thanks." Xahra ducked under the blue flaps and stepped out onto the cobblestone street. She glanced over her shoulder, just a little bit surprised to see a crossroads behind her instead of the fairgrounds.

"Oh hey, we're only a couple of streets away from the apartment." Madiha grinned as she jogged over to Xahra. "I guess Frey's magic tricks are good for making shortcuts at least."

"Lucky us." She nodded as they started walking down the street. "I don't think I'd have been able to carry Sakura all the way from the carnival."

"How much would you bet on Syaoran freaking out when he sees Sleeping Beauty's face?"

"Did we remember to pick up the ointment Frey gave her for the bruising?"

"Mokona stored it." Mokona announced, happily bouncing on to Madiha's head.

"Get off!" Madiha grabbed it by the ears and pulled it off. "You're not getting free rides on my head because you hit me."

"Because Maddy is a meanie!" Mokona whined as it struggled to get free. "Xahra, Maddy is a meanie. Tell Maddy that she is a meanie."

"Maddy, quit harassing poor Mokona."

"If you think the fluff-ball is so innocent, why don't you carry it?"

"Because I'm carrying Sakura," Xahra stuck out her tongue, "and you promised you'd carry Mokona."

"That was before it hit me."

"Don't be such a baby, Maddy. It didn't even hit you that hard."

"It's the principle of the thing." Madiha sniffed. They fell silent, walking side by side as they ignored the curious looks a few passerby shot them. They stopped at the entrance to their apartment building, flinching as they noticed the time. It was nearly ten.

"So, I'll just claim to be a chicken now and say that you can be the one to tell them about the thugs that tried to rob us earlier."

"Maddy, you knocked out five thieves and _now_ you claim to be a chicken?"

"That was different. Those guys pissed me off."

"So? Fai pisses you off too."

"Wasn't I supposed to be apologizing to him tonight?"

"Apologizing to who, Maddy-chan?" Fai's voice came from behind them, cutting off Xahra's next comment. He grinned at the girls as they turned around to face the blond. "Syaoran-kun, Kuro-tan!" he yelled over his shoulder, "I found them."

"You three better have a damn good explanation about where the hell you have been!" Kurogane glowered as he stomped up the steps.

"Princess Sakura!" Syaoran cried a moment later as he raced to Xahra.

"Oh crap," Madiha muttered as she took a step back and looking at the three boys in their group. Xahra couldn't help but agree with the assessment. Oh crap, indeed.

**_A/N: Any fellow Whovians out there reading this? I just couldn't resist dropping in a couple of references to that awesome show. ^_^; Although I must say that I won't be crossing this over with Doctor Who. Things are complicated enough as it and they don't need more crossovers being added to the mix to make it even harder to follow. But! There might be a few more cameos in the future so keep an eye out for those. Nothing too big but a few fun characters might pop up from time to time. _**

**_The plot thickens around the mystery that is Xahra's past. How will the guys react to the girls being attacked? What will happen next now that Xahra is confirmed to be a witch? Will Maddy really get around to learning more about her alchemy? Will Sakura be able to give Syaoran her gift? Will Maddy be able to apologize to Fai without bashing his brains in? Find out all that and maybe more in the next update. (I feel like one of tv-show commentators right now xD") Don't forget to review and tell me what you guys think. _**


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